With over 20 years of experience covering the Steelers for the Observer-Reporter, Dale Lolley will let you know the insider scoop. Dale can also be heard on the Steelers radio network pre-game show on WDVE-FM game days and Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. on ESPN 970-AM during the season as a host of the Antonio Brown Show. Follow him on Twitter at dlolleyor.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Jones leaves Steelers for Cardinals

The Steelers will have their third special teams coordinator in less than a year when they begin their spring OTAs.

Special teams coordinator Amos Jones is leaving the Steelers to join the staff of Bruce Arians in Arizona.

Jones, who had been with the Steelers since 2007, replaced Al Everest in August when he was abruptly fired. Previously, Jones had been the Steelers assistant special teams coach.

His departure leaves head coach Mike Tomlin with two and possibly three positions to fill on his staff.

In addition to Everest and Jones, offensive line coach Sean Kugler left at the end of the season to accept the head coaching position at UTEP.

Tomlin and his staff were in Mobile, Ala., this week for the Senior Bowl. Team president Art Rooney II was with them, meaning Tomlin was likely talking to potential replacements.

It seems pretty clear that there was some behind the scenes/personal thing with Everest. Why does everyone care so much? Would you feel better if you found out he has a drinking problem or got into a fist fight with someone or has a health issue he needs to take care of, or was a gambler? What difference does it make to any of us what the issue was?

You're assuming the Head Coach is the sole person responsible for hiring and firing assistant coaches. Maybe it was Tomlin's call maybe Al demanded a raise and Art told him to walk. We (I) have no idea but when a guy has been an ok coach (as far as what appears on the field) and is let go quickly in the preseason for no apparent reason, logic would dictate that it was something that would be unprofessional to say to the media. Zeirlein's porn email was reported because he sent it to multiple NFL people. Al's issue wasn't public. I'm fine with that. It's none of my business.

Patrick nailed it. Two weeks before the season was set to begin, Tomlin had a gut feeling that he needed to fire a coach. Yep, that would hold up to scrutiny.There is a union for the assistant coaches. You think he could fire him on a gut feeling two weeks before the season. You think Art II would agree to that?Please.

Dale, Kyle asked why we want to know, and if its a personal reason/behind the scenes, which is probably is, then ok. But we still want to know what it was.

Plenty of people are fired for questionable reasons. Everest was a decent coach and fired and the ST unit dropped. Its not unreasonable to wonder what it was. I'd like to know, because I think there is a strong argument that it hurt the team. So whether he was smoking crack in the bathroom OR he had personal beef with someone, I'd like to know what it was. Based on the ST play it wasn't a good decision, so was it absolutely necessary to fire the guy for whatever he did?

1. tomlin wanted to fire everest. he then would need to get permission from colbert and rooney.

2. colbert wanted to fire everest. he then would need to get permission from rooney and notify tomlin.

3. rooney wanted to fire everest. he then would notify colbert and tomlin.

regardless, it's not a snap decision. it's not based on lunacy. at the very worst, the owner didn't want him and sent him packing. most likely, all three agreed to it, so something was clearly going on.

I think the fact that Everest doesn't have a job coaching, as far as i know, says something. Amos Jones certainly wasn't a world-beater this year, despite Rainey being 8th in kick returns, and Arians couldn't wait to schlep him along to the desert.

They had cause or wouldn't of been done. I assume that. But the point of this is what was the cause, or was it cause of enough?

On a scale of 1-10, with 8 being punching a co-worker (which almost everyone would be fired for) and 10 being criminal, was whatever Everest did a 7? Or did he just not get along with someone, thats my question.